Town of Cedar Lake
Town Council
Public Meeting Minutes

Pledge of Allegiance & Moment of Silence

Roll Call

Agenda Amendment

Mr. Recupito solicited a motion to amend the agenda to add an item under New Business pertaining to the Cedar Lake Historical Association.

A motion to amend the agenda and add the item under New Business was made by Richard Thiel with second by Greg Parker.

Motion carries, 6–0.

Consent Agenda

1. Minutes

January 6, 2026.

2. Claims

All Town Funds: $346,576.42; Wastewater: $78,035.21; Water Utility: $77,684.59; Storm Water: $8,988.11; Payroll (4/09/26): $420,671.32; March Remittances: $212,043.96.

3. Donations

Police Monetary Donation for Equipment from Schilling $400; Police In-Kind Donation of Tesla Wall Connectors from GOEVIN/Ryan Lisek; K9 Monetary Donation of $25 from Lisa Wilcox.

4. Tag Day

Hanover Central High School Cheer – 09/19/2026.

5. Manual Journal Entries

March 1, 2026 – March 31, 2026.

A motion to waive the reading of the minutes and accept the consent agenda as listed was made by Julie Rivera with second by Greg Parker. Mr. Carnahan asked about the Tesla donation. Chief Gruszka explained they received two charging stations and a stand to mount. A brief discussion continued. Mr. Carnahan discussed the claim for garbage service. For March, it was in the amount of $137,335.12. That is what it costs to take care of everyone's garbage in Town.

Motion carries, 6–0.

Ordinances/Resolutions

1. Ordinance No. 1528 – Meeting Quorum Rules

Mr. Thiel read Ordinance No. 1528 by title only. Mr. Austgen explained this is a codification of well-established rules of meeting and procedures. Putting the quorum rule into consistency with that in the Town Code. All boards and commissions, including Town Council, are required to follow those rules.

A motion to approve the first reading of Ordinance No. 1528 was made by Mary Joan Dickson with second by Richard Thiel.

Motion carries, 5–1.

2. Resolution No. 1391 – A Transfer Resolution

Mr. Thiel read Resolution No. 1391 by title only. Clerk-Treasurer Sandberg explained the following transfers within the General Fund. Mr. Carnahan briefly discussed insurance.

A motion to approve Resolution No. 1391 was made by Robert Carnahan with second by Richard Thiel.

Motion carries, 6–0.

3. Resolution No. 1392 – Disposal of Town-Owned Real Estate Located at 7115 W 128th Lane

Mr. Thiel read Resolution No. 1392 by title only. Mr. Recupito discussed doing these lately. This is the process in order to dispose of and sale property. Mr. Austgen discussed procedure following statute and how the Town acquired the land as a Town.

A motion to approve Resolution No. 1392 was made by Richard Thiel with second by Mary Joan Dickson.

Motion carries, 6–0.

4. Resolution No. 1393 – Disposal of Town-Owned Real Estate Located at 7111 W 128th Avenue

A motion to defer Resolution No. 1393 was made by Greg Parker with second by Richard Thiel.

Motion carries, 6–0.

5. Resolution No. 1395 – Disposal of Town-Owned Real Estate Located at 6800-6802 W 131st Place

Mr. Thiel read Resolution No. 1395 by title only.

A motion to approve Resolution No. 1395 was made by Mary Joan Dickson with second by Julie Rivera.

Motion carries, 6–0.

Old Business

1. Acceptance of Cash Bond in the Amount of $75,223.50 for CWK in Cedar Lake LLC (Jet's Pizza and Wingstop)

Mr. Austgen stated he reviewed. Not the normal method or done often but this will work. Mr. Recupito stated it is basically to protect Town-owned property. Mr. Austgen stated it is and they are holding cash.

A motion to accept was made by Robert Carnahan with second by Richard Thiel.

Motion carries, 6–0.

New Business

1. Cedar Lake Historical Association Request

Mr. Recupito stated this is a request for a letter in support of a roof grant. Jimmy Laud, Cedar Lake Historical Association, thanked them for their help with the last grant. That helped them go for this grant. It is a $100,000 grant. He requested a letter of support that would essentially say the Town will help them see the project through. Mr. Carnahan asked what it is for. Mr. Laud stated a new roof. A brief discussion continued. Mr. Kubiak asked what he is needing from the Town. Mr. Laud stated permitting and all that kind of stuff. He is assuming they will want them to pull a permit when it comes time to construct. Mr. Recupito stated he thinks all they are seeking is a letter of support. Mrs. Rivera asked when they need the letter of support signed by. Mr. Laud stated sooner rather than later. A brief discussion continued.

A motion to approve Mr. Recupito to sign the letter of support was made by Robert Carnahan with second by Julie Rivera.

Motion carries, 6–0.

2. Recommendation to Transfer the Town-Owned Parcel at 7105 134th Avenue to the Park Board for Community Green Space

Mrs. Ray explained several months ago a citizen asked about the Parks Department taking care of a town-owned parcel. The citizen stated they would love to see it as a park space in the neighborhood. The address is 7105 W 134th Avenue. The Park Board is making a recommendation to the Town Council asking them to put it into the Park Department inventory. They will clear the lot and make it a useable greenspace. It is a narrow parcel with lots of woods and trees. A brief discussion continued on maintenance of the parcel.

A motion to approve was made by Richard Thiel with second by Robert Carnahan.

Motion carries, 6–0.

3. Consideration for Approval of a 4-Foot Fence at the Cedar Lake Museum to be Installed Around Utility Equipment

Mr. Laud, Cedar Lake Historical Association, stated whatever is on the permit is where the fence is going. He stated Mrs. Zasada applied for a permit for this project. He thinks of it is a beautification project. Creating some separation from the public and the utilities. A brief discussion continued on the location. Mr. Kubiak confirmed it is where the utilities are and it is just some screening.

A motion to approve was made by Richard Thiel with second by Robert Carnahan.

Motion carries, 6–0.

4. 2026 CDBG Utopia ADA Sidewalk Improvement: Part-Time Construction Observation Services

Mr. Recupito explained there is a letter in the packet with a proposal for construction observation for the sidewalks and ramps in Utopia. The amount is not to exceed $19,700. Mr. Kubiak stated they have already started. They have to monitor everything and quantities for the grant.

A motion to approve was made by Mary Joan Dickson with second by Julie Rivera.

Motion carries, 6–0.

5. Approval of Building, Planning, and Zoning Permitting Software

Mr. Wroe explained the Building and Planning Department is one of the departments that we are trying to bring up to date. They use a database but for the most part everything is done manually. All of it related to inspections, permit applications, and even permit cards. They want to modernize. They looked at dozens of software companies. They narrowed it down to six. They did demonstrations and looked at the proposals. One firm was always at the top when speaking with others across the country. Two of the products leverage AI (artificial intelligence) tools. When doing the evaluations, they wanted to make sure it complied with Senate Enrolled Act 472. That is the Indiana rules for state government. They thought that was a good benchmark. He stated they have internal policies and acceptable use policies for artificial intelligence. Both products meet the minimum criteria. The product is GovWell. They talked with a community in Indiana that uses them. They said it was revolutionary for their community and staff. They could not recommend them highly enough. GovWell includes everything. There is no third-party app. What you pay is turnkey and works well. The AI element is an auto check feature. The applicant submits their applications and their drawings. The tool looks it over and looks at all the details. It may notify them if there is a setback issue, square footage issue, wall height issue, or things like that. The applicant sees those same flags. It is not just a tool for the Town but the applicant too. Maybe they submitted something incorrectly. It can be fixed before they submit. This also includes the planning and zoning module. When an applicant submits an application that may require an appeals process, it workflows right into BZA. Helps with mailings and notifications. It is not just for the department. It has a public facing portal for the public to have access too. They will be able to see the application process, where it is in the workflow, and get real time notifications related to the application. There is a built in AI tool for the community. You can ask it questions about setbacks, lot coverage, chicken rules, dog rules and more. GovWell is the only company that supplies a live chat assistant for Town staff and the public. Anything involving the portal the public gets the same service. Mr. Carnahan stated to get the program it is $22,000. Mr. Wroe stated if we sign by April 30th, they will waive the $8,000 deployment fee. Mr. Carnahan asked Jen about funding. Ms. Sandberg stated this will come out of the Planning, Zoning, Building Department budget. Currently, there is a line item for IT/Tech services. There is not quite enough available and they will be transferring from another line item. That resolution will be on the next agenda. Mr. Recupito asked about sustaining the budget for this. Ms. Sandberg stated yes. It is doable. Depending on what renewal price is for Near Maps. She has not yet seen the renewal. They will need to discuss when it comes. Mr. Recupito asked if there was something that included both. Mr. Wroe discussed the benefits and services. Near Maps is a great tool but it is only for us. The public does not really benefit like with this product. Mr. Wroe continued to discuss the benefits.

A motion to approve was made by Richard Thiel with second by Robert Carnahan.

Motion carries, 6–0.

6. Approval of Conditional Offer for Lateral Transfer for Firefighter/Paramedic Hire

Mr. Recupito discussed the letter of recommendation from the Board of Safety. It passed by a vote of 5 – 0 to send a favorable recommendation. Chief Mager stated this would be replacement hire one of three open positions. Mr. Carnahan stated there is no training needed since it is a transfer. Chief Mager confirmed.

A motion to approve was made by Robert Carnahan with second by Richard Thiel.

Motion carries, 6–0.

7. Consider Purchase of EMS Equipment from Stryker

Chief Mager explained this was related to last year's EMS billing rate adjustment. It is part of it. This is not a full consideration for equipment. It is a request for proposals for financing. Ms. Sandberg stated they are asking for permission for her to send out proposal requests for financing. Stryker does have an option for financing but she would like to look outside to see if they can get a better interest rate. Mr. Recupito asked if it would be something down the road. Chief Mager stated once Jennifer has a recommendation for financing. Ms. Sandberg estimated a recommendation by the May 19th meeting.

A motion to approve was made by Robert Carnahan with second by Mary Joan Dickson.

Motion carries, 6–0.

8. Edward Huppenthal Trust Donation Acceptance in the Amount of $213,000 for Cedar Lake Fire Department

Mr. Austgen explained the Town is a residual beneficiary of the Edward Huppenthal Trust. This distribution is to be made to the Town for the benefit of public safety, specifically, the Cedar Lake Fire Department. $500,000 has already transferred in the initial distribution share. This is probably the last distribution.

A motion to approve was made by Richard Thiel with second by Julie Rivera.

Motion carries, 6–0.

Discussion

1. Referral of the Chicken Ordinance to the Plan Commission for Approval

Mr. Kubiak stated it has been a thing. Michelle and Cliff put together a proposal just to get started. There are some pretty good comparisons to other surrounding communities. It is something to start with to see where everyone wants to go. They either want to move forward with something or follow the current guidelines which say no chickens in Town. Cliff put it together showing the whole process. Mr. Carnahan stated he had one of the administrators research it but he could never get it on the Plan Commission agenda. Discussion continued on chickens within the town. Mr. Kubiak stated they are trying to get something to decide one way or the other. They have been in limbo for some time and it seems like more and more people have chickens. Mrs. Rivera asked what is happening right now if someone calls and complains. Mr. Kubiak stated he is going and talking to people about the current rule and what they are working on. This recommendation is for Plan Commission to start reviewing. Mr. Austgen discussed the process for Plan Commission. A brief discussion continued.

A motion to refer the item to the Plan Commission was made by Mary Joan Dickson with second by Richard Thiel.

Motion carries, 6–0.

Reports

1. Town Council

Mr. Carnahan report that Project Love food pantry would be open on Wednesday from 9AM to 11:30AM. He is in communication with Kelly Anton from US Senator Todd Young's office. This is regarding culverts on the Norfolk Southern Railroad. It is plugged up. He contacted Kelly Anton to help get a response. Discussion continued on the matter. Mrs. Dickson thanked the Fire Department, Park Department, and VIPS for being present at the Chamber expo. On April 25th they will have roadside clean up. Starts at the Chamber Building. Breakfast will be provided. She stated she attended the Rebuilding Together meeting. They will be in Cedar Lake next year. They are in Merrillville this year. Mr. Thiel added that last Thursday they had a meeting at the Hanover Administration Building. It is a community partners meeting held by Mr. O'Donnell. They keep them updated on items such as grants applied for. Cameras were recently acquired via the latest grant. It has been helping with stop arm violations.

2. Town Attorney

No report.

3. Clerk-Treasurer

No report.

4. Town Manager

No report.

5. Director of Operations

Mr. Kubiak stated they received the street sweeper on Friday. It is out on the road. It is working out well. He thanked them. Mr. Thiel asked if there was movement with the old one. The old one needs a new thermostat. He intends on having it on the next agenda to dispose of via GovDeals. They need to think about a minimum price they will accept for it. A brief discussion continued. Mrs. Dickson thanked Bob Groszek for his help with this. He is on the drainage board.

6. Police Department

Chief Gruszka reported on the monthly calls report. The Crown Point Community Foundation grant received for traffic cones; the cones have arrived. He stated Deputy Chief Brittingham and Training Officer Meyer completed Leadership Training at Valparaiso. Administrative Assistant Sarah Moore completed the Purdue Northwest Leadership program. She is a great asset to the Town. Sergeant Kilgore and Corporal Machalk completed the FBI LEEDA Leadership training. This training is broken into three segments. Corporal Machalk completed all three. They attended the parade celebration at MacArthur for a first grader who just completed chemotherapy. The VIPS members attended the Chamber Business Showcase. They have been working on the out of state plates. They have assigned officers to that. They are giving people two weeks and then they will go back. A lot of people are correcting the issue. Mr. Carnahan reminded him of an article in the paper regarding Cedar Lake appearing in the Top 7 for Safe Cities. Mr. Carnahan briefly discussed.

7. Fire Department

Chief Mager report the current hiring process will go through the next two weeks. They still have two open positions. He reported on the monthly operations and training. He stated a joint driver operator training program will be conducted with surrounding communities. The new engine is in service. It is serving well.

8. Parks Department

Mrs. Ray reminded everyone that tomorrow is Earth Day. They will be handing out giveaways throughout the day. On Friday April 24th, they will be planting a tree on the Town Grounds at 5PM. The tree was donated from Leo's. She discussed the tree city process and ordinance. Saplings will be given away. Mr. Recupito asked Mrs. Ray about the grounds maintenance and if a resolution was found. Mrs. Ray stated in-house they discussed a plan. The Parks crew will take over mowing duties. All the department heads are working on the mulch situation and maybe changing to river rock. They are working together.

Written Communication

1. Building Department Report

Mr. Recupito stated it was included in the packet. They have had fifteen new construction permits and 108 other permits issued.

2. Christopher B. Burke Report

Mr. Recupito stated it was included in the packet.

Public Comment

Reverend John P. Kowalczyk Jr., 14338 Violet Circle, discussed the meeting quorum rules. He stated there are a number of ways to determine a quorum. He asked for someone to explain. Mrs. Dickson stated it is a quorum of the board. There are seven of them so a quorum would be four. If it is a board of five, the quorum would be three. If only three are in attendance, all three would have to vote yes. Mr. Austgen stated they drafted the ordinance with an example of how it works. Mr. Kowalczyk stated a major anniversary is approaching for the 25th Anniversary of 9/11. The Police Department, Fire Department, and Chaplains are working on a service for the entire community. It will be held on September 11th. It will be at Saint Michael the Archangel National Catholic Church. It is still in the planning stages. Mr. Carnahan recalled that day.

Jerry Connor, 10330 Paramount Way, asked for someone to explain why the Town debt went up so much. It shows a 153% difference for him from last year. Ms. Sandberg stated with the 2017 A, B, and C Bonds, there were timing issues. Since the onset of that debt service, they have had to continually borrow money from the wastewater fund in order to make the payments. In order to avoid an issue at the end, with the final payment being at the beginning of 2027, they would not be able to collect the final levy in 2027 to meet that obligation. That means they would have to borrow from wastewater but be unable to pay wastewater back. To avoid an issue with wastewater, they sought approval from the DLGF to get the additional payment this year in 2026 so they could pay off the debt and not have an issue with wastewater or potentially the general fund. Mr. Carnahan asked if that bond was roads. Ms. Sandberg stated yes. Mr. Conner stated if he understands correctly, next year that will roll off and they will be back to where it was. This is just a catch up. Ms. Sandberg stated yes. That is the initial plan for it to roll off. If other plans are made with debt service, road projects, or any other kind of bond issue, it could potentially affect it. The initial plan was for it to be a one year hit and then roll off.

Louis Corey, 14621 Bryan Street, stated he would like to make a proposal to amend ordinance 1307. Mr. Corey shared copies of the golf cart registration ordinance. Mr. Parker stated he spoke with Louis on the phone about amending the golf cart ordinance. He asked him to come in. Mr. Corey discussed a proposal to create a new registration class with a fee. Safety is the primary driver of the proposal. He discussed his proposal. Mr. Recupito stated they would review.

Desiree Csikos, 13660 Muir Street, she stated she thinks they know why they are there. They were here in January and she attended the storm water meeting last week. Nothing has been done. Her property is collapsing. She voiced concerns with the safety of her children. She discussed the developer next door putting hay bales in her ditch and hammering them into the property. When she told him to leave, he said the Town sent him. She continued to voice concerns with the activity. She wants to know who issued authority for the man to come on her property. Mr. Thiel stated with all the rain they have had, he discussed with Aaron and he went out and looked at it. Seeing the straw bale in the ditch, he called Tim Kubiak to see what was going on with the developer's responsibility for making sure that the straw bales were in place. Mrs. Csikos stated the hay bales are making it worse. Mr. Thiel stated as wet as it is, they cannot put dirt there. He discussed the rock up by the outfall and seeing how far it moved. Mr. Kubiak stated he touched base with them and asked them to make sure the hay bales were staked down good. He asked for feedback on the schedule. They said it was drying up and they have to wait for it to dry. The work is in the drainage easement. He understands half is on theirs and half is on the other property. Mrs. Csikos stated the entire ditch is her property. It is coming off of the easement into her property. She stated whether or not it is an easement is not an excuse for what is going on there. Mr. Recupito asked Mrs. and Mr. Csikos if they would mind sticking around and they can group to discuss. Mrs. Csikos stated she would like to keep it all on the record. Mr. Recupito stated he does not know what they are suggesting to be done. Mrs. Csikos voiced concerns with the weather delays. Mr. Recupito stated he is in a construction industry and some stuff they cannot do because of the weather. Mrs. Csikos stated the next meeting that house is going to be done. They were promised there would be no occupancy. She stated they were also promised there would be no permit and they continue to receive permits. She asked who signs the permits to let them keep going. Mr. Thiel stated it is just the one building permit. Mrs. Csikos asked about the green tag and inspections. She stated they live with the consequences of their decisions. Mr. Thiel asked if they are asking for the check offs. Mr. Recupito stated at the previous meeting when they did the bond, everyone left okay. He asked several times, if everyone was okay. Everybody was okay. Now there is a problem. He thought they had this all straightened out. Mrs. Csikos stated this is a big deal. She voiced concerns with no one from the building department being out there to check up on it. She voiced concerns with Mr. Kubiak not being out there. Mr. Kubiak stated he has been out there several times. Mrs. Csikos stated she has seen him drive past. Mr. Kubiak stated he has driven past. He can see there. Mrs. Csikos stated she has it on her camera. Mr. Kubiak stated he can see from driving past that nothing has been done. Mrs. Csikos stated he cannot. Mr. Recupito asked Mr. Austgen if there is any resolution he can propose. Mr. Austgen stated he recommended they send Mr. Kubiak out with the Town's engineers to look at the circumstance and provide objective thoughts. Something that can be universally understood and can be implemented. He does not know what that is but the engineer and public works director should. Mrs. Csikos continued to voice concerns with no one coming out. She stated she requested it at the storm water meeting and no response was received. Mr. Recupito stated they are trying to come up with a solution. He asked if they would be amicable to the engineer and Mr. Kubiak getting out there. Mrs. Csikos voiced concerns with someone actually coming out. Mr. Recupito asked Mr. Kubiak if he can guarantee it. He asked if he can get with Luke or Vanessa. Mr. Kubiak stated they can do whatever they like. Mrs. Csikos yelled at Mr. Kubiak that she would have liked this done before building started like he promised. Mr. Kubiak stated what has taken place is they had an original plan. He feels like it should have been done before now. The Council's decision to invoke the $12,000 performance bond to assure this gets done kind of put it to the back burner. He knows they cannot get occupancy until they move in. At the end of the day, it kind of took the pressure off them to get it done instantly. Their bond money is being held until it is done. They have a bond in place to perform and get it done. He agrees there was some time in February with the weather. He stated he knows she has a camera and he has driven by no less than ten times. Mrs. Csikos stated the last time he drove through was March 11th. Mr. Kubiak stated he has been by and he can see nothing has been done. Mrs. Csikos continued to voice concerns about the damage. Mr. Kubiak stated he is looking to see if they are out there getting it done. Mr. Csikos stated the engineer needs to be there as circumstances have changed. The 2015 plan and then they settled on the revision four. It should be expired at this point. It needs to be re-engineered. Mrs. Csikos stated they are out of time. She continued to voice concerns with the ground on her property and safety. Mr. Recupito asked Tim to arrange to get someone from CBBEL out there to work it out. He asked for this week. Mr. Csikos voiced concerns with the new owners and receiving occupancy. Mr. Parker assured them there will not be occupancy. Mr. Thiel stated he spoke with Luke Sherry last week. He sent Luke some emails as well. Mrs. Csikos asked about temporary occupancy. Mr. Thiel stated absolutely none. Mrs. Csikos continued to voice concerns. She voiced concerns with things continually changing. Mr. Thiel stated absolutely no occupancy as stated at the bottom of the permit. The $12,000 was more or less an umbrella or secondary coverage. Mr. Carnahan voiced concerns with the bond being too low. Mr. Thiel stated the money is technically insignificant as the permit states no certificate of occupancy will be given until revision four is complete. Mr. Carnahan continued to voice concerns. Mr. Recupito asked if they could make it happen this week. Multiple conversations overlapped. Mr. Recupito and Mr. Csikos discussed getting the engineer out to review. Mr. Austgen suggested the MS4 inspector be involved as well. Mrs. Csikos voiced concerns with discharge of silt into the waterways. Mr. Recupito stated they will get everyone together this week unless something unforeseen happens. Mr. Csikos stated there have never been fines related to MS4. Mrs. Csikos asked about confirming a time. Mr. Recupito stated that is hard without the engineers in the room. Mrs. Csikos asked about getting a call to Aaron or her. Mr. Thiel discussed the parties involved. He stated he has availability during the day. Mr. Kubiak stated he will include him. Mrs. Csikos asked about communication when someone comes on her property. She asked for no more stakes or hay bales. Mr. Recupito asked Tim about communicating with everyone. Mr. Kubiak stated they will plan for Thursday.

Dan Mitchell, 12534 Tall Oaks Drive, stated he is in Ward 2, August Oaks. He asked if they can get new roads. Mrs. Rivera asked where exactly his street is. Mr. Mitchell stated it stopped right before them. Mr. Carnahan stated they bond out for roads. That causes the taxes to go up. Mr. Mitchell stated the road was redone and it stopped right before it got to them. Mr. Carnahan stated they have roads that have never been fixed. Mr. Mitchell stated he talked to Greg Parker and it has to do with a job they did. They reported to the Town Building Department that there was no permit for electrical. They told the inspector. Nothing got inspected. They just let it go. He stated he would like some answers on that. Mr. Carnahan asked about the address. Mr. Mitchell stated he does not know if he should disclose that. Mr. Carnahan stated he can give it to him after the meeting. Mr. Mitchell stated they had a job and the customer was unsatisfied at the end. He voiced concerns about the lack of permit and inspections. He stated he wants answers. He stated he has driven around town and there are a lot of things that are not code. He stated he is in the industry and owns his own company. He stated he shared pictures. Mr. Recupito stated he shared the information with the attorney. Mr. Mitchell stated he is looking for answers. He continued to voice concerns. Mr. Recupito asked if he would stick around to give the address. Mr. Mitchell stated he thinks they could talk about it. Mr. Recupito stated he sent him and Greg photos. He does not know what is code and what is not. Mr. Mitchell continued to voice concerns with sharing information with the Building Department and them dismissing it. Mr. Recupito stated he thinks in order to get to the bottom of it they need the address. Mr. Mitchell did not understand why they needed the address. Mr. Thiel stated they could not give an answer. Mr. Mitchell stated 14815 Reeder Road. Mr. Recupito asked Tim if he knew anything. Mr. Kubiak stated a little bit. They can get out the permit and get them an answer. Mr. Recupito stated okay. He has Mr. Mitchell's contact information. A brief discussion continued.

Brenda Roberts, 15008 Morse Street, thanked everyone for the 30MPH speed limit signs on Morse. She stated some observe it and some do not. She discussed the wildlife sanctuary. She stated there is a lot of activity. She asked everyone, the public, to observe the posted speed limit. She voiced concerns about dumping on her property. She stated she does not know if anyone has that problem. She usually calls Greg and he helps her with that. There is stuff on the side of the road like carpeting. Mr. Parker asked Tim if he could get that. Mrs. Roberts continued to voice concerns. Mr. Parker stated he did not see anything there today. He stated Tim would get it addressed. Mrs. Roberts commented on the Pastor's comment. She thinks they should really observe the 9/11 catastrophe. Be thankful they had first responders there. She continued to voice her thanks.

Jeff Biel, 10240 W 134th Avenue, discussed the Plan Commission meeting last week and the final plat for two lot subdivision for the police and fire department. He stated that final plat should have been done before construction started. That is the way you do it. He stated it was referred to the attorney at the time. He stated after the meeting he talked with Dave and he told him he was right. He wishes he would have said it during the meeting. Mr. Austgen stated that is not what he told him. He stated he said the law was correct and he cited on the record the sequencing of events was wrong. Mr. Biel stated it was three years too late. Mr. Thiel stated more than three years. For the record, it has been stated several times in other meetings. It was not followed. The reason it is on the agenda now is to clean it up. The Plan Commission back then never saw it. To blame Plan Commission is incorrect. The Building Corporation did not see stuff either. That step should have been done first. It did not happen that way. They are cleaning it up now. Mr. Biel continued to voice concerns with it not being done. Mr. Recupito stated a majority of the Council now was not involved in it. Mr. Biel continued to voice concerns. He referenced the Muir Street house and other issues. He stated they need to start assessing what the commission's are doing. Mr. Biel stated the commission's need to be evaluated. He continued to voice concerns on the home on Muir Street. Mr. Parker stated the subdivision is twenty-five years old. It was approved long ago. Mr. Biel stated they should have not been allowed to build on the lot. Mr. Parker stated there was nothing to hold the former developer responsible. Mr. Biel voiced concerns with the permit being issued. Mr. Kubiak stated the lot was buildable. It had a drainage problem. Part of getting the building permit for the lot was to fix the drainage problem. They applied for an engineer. They got a plan. They got an approved plan by the town to fix the problem. It escalated to this point due to digging a hole and whatever the case is. The plan is still intact that was approved by the town engineer, the storm water engineer. That will correct the problem during the process. It has been a bit slow but it will be complete and done before the house is done. Mr. Kubiak stated it could have been done quicker. It will be done. Mr. Biel continued to voice concerns with it not being done. Mr. Thiel stated he is looking for blame. They are here now to take responsibility and make things right. Mrs. Dickson stated they have inherited a lot. Mr. Biel continued to voice concerns.

Carol Kerr, 9900 W 129th Place, discussed finding something online about the Lake County Auditor's Office and those over 65 getting a discount on their taxes. She discussed the circuit breaker and the tax limit. She discussed the qualifications regarding income. She stated they need to go to the Lake County Auditor's Office before December 30, 2026 to apply for the discount. She stated she called and verified with that office. She thinks it is worth doing.

Kathy Broomhead, 14351 W 135th Avenue, asked what is going on with Shane's Bar. Mr. Recupito stated he does not want to speak out of turn. They were supposed to come in with plans and never did. Mr. Thiel stated they were acquiring the parcel behind it. That was to be additional parking. Last he heard they were working on another parcel. They should come in. He does not know if that has been conveyed to them. He agreed it was an eyesore. He does not feel they should be waiting for their timing to acquire things. They were approved for a plan. Mrs. Broomhead asked how long do they have. Mr. Thiel stated a year. Mr. Parker stated they need to get them back in. Mr. Kubiak stated he has tried to contact them with messages and no return call. Mr. Parker asked him to reach out to their attorney. Mr. Kubiak stated they would try. Mrs. Broomhead asked how many acres public works has. No one could give an exact answer. It was estimated about seven (7) acres. Mrs. Broomhead asked about the ground walking path and who met with the contractor. Mrs. Dickson asked the sidewalks or somewhere else. Mrs. Broomhead clarified the Town Grounds walking path. Mrs. Dickson stated that was a Park Department job. Mrs. Ray stated that was her on behalf of the Park Board. Mrs. Broomhead asked who the contractor is. Mrs. Ray stated St. John Paving. Mrs. Broomhead asked if this is going to be happening on May 18th to do it. Mrs. Ray stated they are scheduled to go on May 18th. Mrs. Ray stated it was all approved and orchestrated through the Park Board meetings, which Mrs. Broomhead attends.

Mr. Thiel stated GIS has acreage estimated at 7.893974.

Barb Orze, 10290 W 138th Place, stated in two weeks they are having elections. It is very important for people to vote. It is the primary. It is for people to make a choice. She does not have any complaints right now. Things are okay. She comes to the meetings and this one tonight had recurrent themes. Things slipping through the cracks. Some are small and some are big. She continued to voice concerns.

Adjournment

President Recupito called the meeting to adjournment at approximately 8:54 PM.